The Financial Intermediary & Broker Association (FIBA), part of SimplyBiz, has announced it has partnered with Grant Thornton’s Financial Services Deals Team.

The relationship grants FIBA members access to Grant Thornton’s integrated, multidisciplinary Deals Team and its in-depth knowledge of the specialist finance sector, including current M&A trends, deal structures, and valuations.

Grant Thornton’s UK Deals Practice is ranked number one in London and number two nationally on Experian’s M&A report 2023.

Martin Reynolds (pictured), chair of FIBA, said: “We are pleased to welcome Grant Thornton, and the calibre of assistance it is able to provide, to our lender panel and members looking for support across their services in this sector.

“We look forward to embarking on the journey of education regarding their professional observations and understanding of elements within our sector and achieving a deeper comprehension.

Simon Blackburn, head of financial services M&A in Grant Thornton’s corporate finance practice, added: “Grant Thornton’s Financial Services Deals practice has a long history of working with the owners and managers of specialist lenders and intermediaries.

“Whilst sector M&A activity has been subdued in recent years due to the impact of the likes of COVID-19, rising inflation and interest rates, appetite for M&A is returning as latent customer demand remains high, interest rates appear to have stabilised and market optimism has increased.

“We look forward to sharing our sector and M&A insights with the FIBA membership and having the opportunity to demonstrate our support to the sector.”